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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · firm · straw · club · pop · mouse · fan · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. board — to get on
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pop — music
  6. board — a committee
  7. club — for golf
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. firm — a company
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pop — soda
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. firm — steady
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. firm — decided
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. pop — to visit
  20. club — for dancing
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. club — a group

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com